The invention relates to a serialization set, in particular for medical instruments or appliances.
In care centers, pharmaceutical laboratories or other establishments which have to ensure the serialization of appliances or instruments, use is made of metallic containers, the purpose of which is to contain in particular surgical instruments during the serialization phase, and then to preserve their sterile state.
To date, these containers are of two main types:                containers with a filter: a specific paper filter permits the passage of the steam, but does not permit the passage of the germs which could contaminate the product,        containers with valves: a system of valves permits the passage of the steam and its extraction and closes to ensure the sealing of the container.        
In practice, however, these two types of containers are not entirely satisfactory. Paper filters can be damaged and therefore no longer ensure “tightness” against germs. Valves, for their part, do not always ensure proper sealing.
In order to overcome these disadvantages, the consequences of which can be very harmful to the health of the patients, two other solutions have been proposed up to now.
The first of these solutions described in the patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,566 consists in proposing a serialization unit having a central unit for checking the serialization parameters, a plurality of locking members distributed in the serialization chamber, which are designed to produce the opening and closure of the containers arranged in the latter.
Although this solution appears satisfactory from the point of view of the quality of the serialization, it nevertheless has the disadvantage of requiring very specific serialization units, and containers dedicated to these serialization units. Consequently, it necessitates renewal of the serialization units and the containers in their entirety, and it proves to be very costly.
The second solution described in the patent DE 3,632,674 consists in proposing a container having, incorporated in the lid of said container, electronic means for checking at least one serialization parameter, at least one energy storage device, a control unit controlled by the checking means and designed, on receiving a signal emitted by these checking means, to release the energy from the storage devices and bring about the closure of the lid.
Although such containers also appear satisfactory from the point of view of the quality of the serialization, they nevertheless have a major disadvantage. According to this solution, all the controlling and checking means are incorporated in the lid of each container during manufacture, and said containers are consequently very costly. Moreover, the technical realization of such containers proves to be very difficult.
Furthermore, in parallel with these solutions, and with the aim of ensuring a high-quality serialization and of being able to check it for complete traceability of the medical devices from decontamination to reuse, it is necessary to check that the serialization parameters have actually been achieved. To this end, until the recent past, the use of paper integrators and biochemical analyses performed this role. For some years, independent electronic pressure and temperature recorders have made it possible to check, by reading the data recorded in their internal memory, that the serialization parameters have been achieved and therefore to validate the cycle in question. This method is sometimes called “parametric release of the loads”. Apparatuses of this type are produced, moreover, by the applicant under the registered trade names “STERILOG” and “MICROLOG”.